Rice, sugar seized in Philippines

Rice, sugar seized in Philippines

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP): Police and soldiers seized
thousands of bags of rice, sugar and other goods smuggled from
Malaysia to the southern Philippines, authorities said on
Saturday.

In the first seizure on Thursday, 350,000 50-kilogram bags of
rice and sugar were seized from a ferry off Jolo town in Sulu
province where it anchored after arriving from the eastern
Malaysian state of Sabah, Southern Command deputy chief Brig.
Gen. Alberto Braganza said.

Braganza said the seizure followed intelligence reports of
renewed smuggling activities in southern Philippine seas
bordering Malaysian territory.

In the second seizure on Friday, police and soldiers in
Zamboanga City confiscated eight steel containers filled with
bags of sugar, two others containing rice and two more loaded
with a banned detergent and 500 bales of used clothes.